Kevin Sheedy and James Hird have come to face-to-face as their sides prepare to make history at SKODA Stadium.
Sheedy, who spearheaded Essendon to four premierships over 27 years, will coach against his old club for the first time when the GIANTS take on the Bombers under lights at Western Sydney's new stadium.
It will be the first time Sheedy has been involved in a match against them since he was a player for Richmond in 1978. This gap of 33 years and 302 days represents the longest gap in VFL/AFL history for any person between matches against one club.
Hird, along with ten other current AFL coaches, was still in primary school when Kevin Sheedy first started coaching Essendon Football Club in 1981 and tonight the pair will meet in the AFL arena for the first time since their emotional farewell from the Bombers in Round 22, 2007.
At a joint media conference at Circular Quay, Hird said he would not underestimate his old mentor or his young GIANTS despite the Bombers sitting equal top of the ladder.
"Fundamentally that competitive nature and tenacity and desire to beat his opposition is still there,” Hird said. "We don't underestimate that this weekend.
"I don't know exactly how they're going to play, but I have a feeling they're going to come out very strongly and play the Kevin Sheedy style, and that's to compete, contest and make sure you influence the contest."
Skoda Stadium will be the 25th AFL venue Sheedy has coached at - the most of any coach in VFL/AFL history.
In round 20 against the Gold Coast, Sheedy will become the first person in VFL/AFL history to reach 1000 games as a player/coach - a feat that already has some calling him the `Millennium Man'.
2012 TOYOTA AFL Premiership Season – Round 9
GWS GIANTS v Essendon
SKODA Stadium
7.40pm Saturday 26 May, 2012